Tlaib holds House accountable for Israel’s Rafah invasion, urges ICC to apprehend Netanyahu

Rep. Rashida Tlaib (D-MI) blasted House Republicans and many of her Democratic colleagues on Tuesday who voted for aid to Israel last month and “gave their consent” to a potential Israeli invasion of Rafah.

Tlaib, the only Palestinian American in Congress, has been vocal in her opposition to the Jewish state and its war against Hamas and in calling for a permanent ceasefire as Gaza civilians make up a majority of the conflict’s casualties.

“It’s no coincidence that immediately after our government sent the Israeli apartheid regime over $14 billion with absolutely no conditions on upholding human rights, Netanyahu began a ground invasion of Rafah to continue the genocide of Palestinians — with ammunition and bombs paid for by our tax dollars,” Tlaib said in a statement on Tuesday.

“Many of my colleagues are going to express concern and horror at the crimes against humanity that are about to unfold, even though they just voted to send Netanyahu billions more in weapons,” the Michigan Democrat continued. “Do not be misled, they gave their consent for these atrocities, and our country is actively participating in genocide.”

Lawmakers approved a $26.38 billion aid package to Israel on April 20, which includes funds to replenish the country’s Iron Dome and David’s Sling missile defense systems as well as $3.5 billion to go toward securing advanced weapons systems and other defense services. The package also includes about $9 billion in humanitarian aid for civilians in conflict zones, including Gaza.

The bill passed with support from 366 members, but 37 Republicans and 21 Democrats voted against it.

Tlaib also called on the International Criminal Court to issue arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and other senior Israeli officials to “finally hold them accountable for this genocide” — a move that the Biden administration does not support.

The ICC is investigating both Hamas’s Oct. 7 terrorist attack that left roughly 1,200 people dead, with another roughly 250 people taken hostage, as well as the Jewish state’s military response that has resulted in the deaths of tens of thousands of civilians.

Tlaib’s statement comes as President Joe Biden continues talks with Netanyahu and Israel began evacuating civilians out of eastern Rafah over the weekend. An Israel Defense Forces official said on Tuesday that Israel has established “operational control” of the Gazan side of Rafah, according to the Washington Post.

The Michigan Democrat said Netanyahu “knows that he will only stay in power as long as the fighting continues.” She made demands of Biden to facilitate an “immediate” ceasefire and end all U.S. funding to the Jewish state.

“It is now more apparent than ever that we must end all U.S. military funding for the Israeli apartheid regime, and demand that President Biden facilitate an immediate, permanent ceasefire that includes a complete withdraw of Israeli forces from Gaza, and the release of all hostages and arbitrarily detained Palestinians,” Tlaib said.

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Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY), a fellow “Squad” Democrat with Tlaib, said on Tuesday that Biden has made it clear that Rafah is a “red line.”

“There is no place for these people to go, they’ve done everything, and to bombard Rafah at this time, I think it is a stain in the history of the world. I think it is a humanitarian disaster,” Ocasio-Cortez said.